Jake Chambers
John "Jake" Chambers is one of the main protagonists and a member of Roland Deschain's second Ka-tet in the Dark Tower Series. Background Character Jake is a smaller, blonde version of Roland. He is described as possessing sharp senses, fearless demeanor and desire to find where he belongs on the quest for Dark Tower. Even without directions from Roland, Jake Chambers seems to have strong survivor instinct in the mix of the worlds. Due to the fact that he was killed by the Gunslinger, he often gets overwhelmed about his role in the world and takes potential signs and hints from the universe very seriously. He finds it very important that the Ka-tet be open and honest with one another Jake and Roland develop a very strong father-son bond that Roland only fully acknowledges the extent of toward the end of the series. Roland also notes that Jake resembles Alain Johns, another gunslinger, in his stable, reserved personality and talent with a psychic skill referred to as "the touch." Appearance Jake is very attractive, with blonde hair and blue eyes, around eleven years old, with the demeanor of a much older person. Abilities Jake, though young and untrained seems to be a natural Gunslinger. He has picked up quite quickly what it means to be a Gunslinger and how to shoot very well. He usually carries a Ruger with him that he lifted from his father before he left to find Roland. But Jake has special abilities, most likely from being split through the mind that allows him to sense the properties of Ka. As such, often he will see, hear and notice things that he may not understand at first but know they are important. Lastly, Jake seems to have an easier time with his connection to the rest of the Ka-Tet. His communications are quite more clearer to them than any of the other members of the Ka-Tet. Any transmission by Jake is almost guaranteed to be loud and clear. Quest for the Tower The Gunslinger Jake Chambers was the son of Elmer Chambers in New York. Elmer Chambers was a big-time television advertising executive. At times, Jake didn't feel close to his own biological father, who always expected the best in grades– and all else– from him. Jake instead formed a close relationship with his housekeeper, Greta Shaw (who gave him the nickname "'Bama"). In 1977, as he is going to school, Jake is pushed into oncoming traffic by a "man in black," is struck by an oncoming car, and is killed. After dying, Jake arrives at a way station" in Mid-World (a building in the middle of the Mohaine Desert with an atomically powered water-pump). He spends many weeks living in the way-station, with the memory of who he was and how he died fading little by little in the erratic time of Mid-World. One day he sees a Man in Black come through the way station. Frightened, Jake hides. Soon, the series' main protagonist Roland comes to the way station, nearly dying of thirst, and passes out. The frightened Jake takes Roland into his care and gives him water and food. Roland then hypnotizes the boy into telling him where he came from and how he died. Roland soon takes pity on the young boy and tells him that he'll take him on his journey to find the Man in Black, who Roland believes somehow murdered Jake in his world. While Roland and Jake begin to become attached to one another, Jake is still afraid that Roland will betray him to his quest. When Roland and Jake finally catch up to the Man in Black under the Cyclopean Mountains, Jake is nearly tossed off a crumbling, ancient bridge located deep underground, and he begs Roland to help him up. The Man in Black offers Roland the choice of either saving Jake or talking to him (the Man in Black). Roland, desperate to find the Dark Tower and knowing that the Man in Black knows his destiny, allows Jake to fall to his second death in the book/series, a choice that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Jake's final words as he plunges into the abyss are: "Go, then. There are other worlds than these." The Drawing of the Three In the second book, the The Drawing of the Three, Roland goes through a doorway into the mind of Jack Mort, a serial killer. Roland discovers in horror that Jack Mort was the man who pushed Jake in front of the oncoming car, under the guise of a priest (which is why Jake confused him with the Man in Black). Roland, not wanting Jake to die but instead to live a normal life, stops Jack from pushing Jake into the road, causing a time paradox. The Waste Lands Due to Roland's interference with Jake's planned death, both Roland and Jake (now alive in 1977) suffer split timelines in their heads. Roland remembers both meeting Jake at the way-station and letting him fall, but alternatively he does not recall ever meeting a boy at the way-station. Jake remembers dying and going to the way-station and meeting Roland, but similarly does not recall meeting him, which leads Jake to wonder if perhaps he imagined Roland. Both Jake and Roland realize they're going slowly insane. While Jake is in his version of New York he makes several crucial discoveries that reappear in the novel and series. He writes "My Understanding of Truth", and buys two childrens books: Charlie the Choo-Choo and Riddle-De-Dum. He also discovers the Rose and a key in a vacant lot located in Turtle Bay, New York City. Roland, with the help of his new companions, Eddie and Susannah Dean, find a way to "draw" Jake out of 1977 to join their ka-tet. The second he re-enters Mid-World, both Roland's and Jake's minds become stable again with the memory of meeting, and Roland promises Jake that he will never let him die again. The ka-tet continues to follow along the path of the beam through River Crossing and into Lud. Along the way Jake meets a billy-bumbler he names Oy. The two become inseparable. Wolves of the Calla Jake is revealed to be strong with "the touch", stronger with it than Roland had expected. He introduces himself as being of the "ka-tet of 99" without really knowing why. Jake leaves the ka-tet for some time to stay with Ben Slightman the Younger. The two form a quick friendship that is sometimes strained when Jake reveals that in someways he is older than Ben, even if he is younger in years. Jake's gift with the touch helps him to discover the truth about the wolves. He and Ben secretly practice throwing Rizas at night, and Jake reveals to Roland that he is quite good at it. In the fight against the wolves, Jake proves himself once again to every bit the gunslinger Roland thought he could become. The loss of Ben Slightman the Younger hits Jake hard. Song of Susannah Jake, Oy, and Father Callahan follow Susannah to the New York City of 1999 in order to save Susannah from the danger Mia has put her in by delivering her into the custody of the Crimson King's henchmen. Jake and Father Callahan are nearly taken in by Black Thirteen that they carry with them and decide to stow it somewhere safe before continuing. Later, Jake, Oy and Father Callahan prepare to launch an assault on the Dixie Pig, where Susannah is being held by the soldiers of the Crimson King. Their discovery of the sköldpadda that Susannah has left behind for them gives them a faint hope that they might succeed, though Jake is filled with a strong sense of dread and neither Jake nor Callahan particularly expects to leave the place alive. The book ends with Jake and Callahan entering with weapons raised. The Dark Tower Jake and Callahan battle the evil infestation within the Dixie Pig. Jake uses his touch and Oy to get past a mind-trap left behind by the Old Ones. After finding a door, he is reunited with Susannah. With the ka-tet once again reunited they fight to save the Breakers and the Beam. Jake then travels to the Keystone World with Roland to save Stephen King. He is mortally struck by an oncoming truck while attempting to push King out of the truck's path, and dies while Roland gives King the hypnotic command to make finishing the story of the Tower his first priority. Roland buries him in a nearby forest and leaves instructions to Irene Tassenbaum to plant a rose on his grave. His name would later appear in a memorium on the plaque at the Tet Corporation building at 2 Hammarskjöld Plaza next to Eddie's. Notable Quotes *"Go, then. There are other worlds than these." - Spoken before falling to his second death in The Gunslinger. Category:Wikipedia Copies Category:The White Category:Men Category:The Dark Tower Characters